Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for sales engineers in the United States
Sales engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected sales engineer job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 3,400 new jobs for sales engineers are projected over the next decade.
Sales engineer salaries have increased 9% for sales engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 37,435 sales engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 132,324 active sales engineer job openings in the US.
The average sales engineer salary is $93,727.
Are sales engineer jobs in demand?
Sales engineer job and salary trends over time
Sales engineer jobs over time
Sales engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37,435 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 39,801 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 40,055 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 41,195 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 44,034 | 0.01% |
Average sales engineer salary over time
Sales engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $93,727 | $45.06 | +4.7% |
| 2025 | $89,481 | $43.02 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $87,345 | $41.99 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $85,020 | $40.87 | --1.3% |
| 2022 | $86,122 | $41.40 | +2.4% |
Sales engineer jobs by state
Most common states for sales engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 589 | 85% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,113 | 31% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 182 | 29% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,146 | 28% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 273 | 26% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 790 | 25% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 239 | 25% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,313 | 24% |
| 9 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,923 | 23% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,315 | 23% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,628 | 22% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 371 | 22% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 292 | 22% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 230 | 22% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 129 | 22% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 8,409 | 21% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,630 | 21% |
| 18 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,146 | 19% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 361 | 19% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,239 | 18% |
Most common cities for sales engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | 19 | 4% | $88,620 |
| 2 | Boston | 23 | 3% | $93,069 |
| 3 | Tampa | 13 | 3% | $79,734 |
| 4 | Indianapolis | 14 | 2% | $65,388 |
| 5 | Detroit | 13 | 2% | $73,670 |
| 6 | Washington | 12 | 2% | $124,348 |
| 7 | Miami | 7 | 2% | $78,801 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | 6 | 2% | $78,313 |
| 9 | Chicago | 18 | 1% | $89,357 |
| 10 | Dallas | 14 | 1% | $91,640 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 12 | 1% | $98,254 |
| 12 | San Jose | 10 | 1% | $113,429 |
| 13 | Seattle | 10 | 1% | $84,484 |
| 14 | San Diego | 9 | 1% | $103,770 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 8 | 1% | $114,306 |
| 16 | Austin | 7 | 1% | $93,125 |
| 17 | Sacramento | 7 | 1% | $113,347 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 17 | 0% | $105,267 |
| 19 | New York | 16 | 0% | $103,062 |
| 20 | Houston | 10 | 0% | $92,544 |
Sales Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of sales engineer experts
Weber State University
University of Maryland - College Park
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Maryland - College Park
University of Akron
Texas Christian University
University of Akron
Fairfield University
Adecco USA
Liberty University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
University of Vermont
SUNY New Paltz
Florida International University
State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo
Ryan McKeehan
Weber State University
General Sales, Merchandising And Related Marketing Operations
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Ryan McKeehan: With the rapid advancement of AI and other technologies, the role of salespeople is evolving. In this changing landscape, superior soft skills will be in high demand. The ability to communicate effectively, provide exceptional customer service, and sell ethically will be more crucial than ever. By honing these skills, one can stay ahead in the job market.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kathleen Kelly: Maximizing your salary potential requires research, flexibility, and being your best advocate.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kathleen Kelly: The world is changing rapidly and the Sales field is no exception.
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
Kevin Buckley: The biggest factor in earning potential is performance - salespeople get paid based on their ability to hit and exceed quotas through revenue generation. With a sales career, you have a lot of control over earnings. My advice is to be metrics-driven and have a plan to intentionally grow your sales skills through training, mentors, and personal development. Build a reputation for consistent over-achievement. It's also important to do research and understand typical compensation benchmarks. Some may offer higher base pay, while others offer more earnings leverage through aggressive commission/bonus structures.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kevin Buckley: Adaptability - The sales environment is evolving rapidly with changes in buyer expectations, technologies, and go-to-market strategies. Successful salespeople will need to be highly adaptable, comfortable with change, and able to quickly adjust their approach as needed. Those stuck in outdated methods will struggle. Digital Selling - The ability to effectively sell through digital channels and virtual interactions is now table stakes. Mastering skills like virtual presentations, video marketing, social selling, and leveraging sales technology tools will separate the top performers. Buyers expect a seamless, digitally-enabled experience. Business Acumen - More than ever, salespeople need the ability to position their products/services as strategic solutions that tangibly impact the client's key objectives, financial metrics, and business outcomes. Knowing how to speak the language of business strategy is crucial for consultative selling.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Kevin Buckley: My top advice is to be a continuous learner, both about your company/products and about the sales profession itself. Sales is a skill that requires ongoing development through practice, coaching, and studying new techniques. Don't rest on what you learned in school - seek out mentors, training opportunities, and ways to keep enhancing your sales capabilities. I would also advise resilience and to view every 'no' as a step closer to 'yes.' Sales has its share of rejection. Have a positive attitude, persist through obstacles, and be a student of why buyers say no so that you can improve.
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
Dr. John Hansen: Regarding the third question, the only real way to maximize your salary in sales is to perform well against the success metrics in place in your role. Sales is, for the most part, an outcome-based profession, meaning that pay increases (or decreases) based on outcomes attained. Whatever the success metrics are in the position one is currently in, they will maximize their income to the extent that they perform well in relation to these success metrics.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. John Hansen: As to the first question, I would suggest any new graduate beginning in sales understand themselves to better understand what type of role they will best fit to. There has been a growing increase in assessment tests in sales to ensure that sales people are being placed in roles they will flourish in. For example, some sales people are more oriented towards finding new customers, while others are more oriented towards managing existing relationships. To the extent that new salespeople can better understand what role they will fit best to, and then secure that role, they are more likely to be successful. Beyond that, there is no substitute for hard work - particularly as one begins their career.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. John Hansen: In terms of the second question, consultative selling has become critically important and will become even more important moving forward in the future. Gone are the days of salespeople simply being able to show up and pitch products while negotiating price. Today, instead, salespeople must be able to craft solutions in response to their customer’s problems. They must truly be consultative in their approach, guiding their customers through the purchasing process. To the extent that they can do this, they will be more successful in their careers.
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.
ChairSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Communication And Media Studies
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: Network, get an internship, do action research etc - anything to add practical experience to the classroom knowledge base.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: All things social media are important, and so writing skills still matter.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: With this major, probably the best salaries are from sales jobs, which many people shy away from because they think only of hustling used cars, but sales can be very good work.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Todd Allen: - analyzing systems, including technical and social implications, of engineering solutions
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Todd Allen: -work hard to develop professional networks
- get the details right
- the way you present is as important as your technical knowledge
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
Derrek Schartz: Be agile and able to adapt. Sales has changed more of the last 20 years than over the previous 100. It's not your father's sales career. Over the last several decades the role of sales in most organizations has changed dramatically.
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hank Boyd: With the looming prospects of AI, soft skills will reign supreme in sales. While at
first blush it might seem counterintuitive in that product knowledge used to be cardinal
skill, today's salesforce relies heavily on networking. Numerous academic papers lend
credence to this idea. Great people skills often trump wonkish knowledge about the
product line.
As we wade further into the 21st Century, environmental scanning (or better yet
the innate ability to read prospects) will remain pivotal. Exceptional salespeople
instinctively scan a prospective client's office noticing all the trappings. They are trying to find something they can comment upon, by doing so they can establish common
ground. Once a connection is forged, salespeople move out of the box of being pesky
interlopers into becoming valued associates.
Lastly, if you decide to embark on a career in sales never forget the tried-and-
true axiom of ABC - always be closing. This phrase means having the gumption to ask
for the business. While sales recruits might have congenial and bubbly personalities, if
they cannot look the prospect in the eye and ask for the business, they ought to find
another profession.
Director Dave Payne M.S.
Associate Professor of Practice / SalesUniversity of Akron
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Director Dave Payne M.S.: As Director of the Fisher Institute, sales education professor and sales coach for the UA sales competition team, I look for three basic characteristics in our sales students. I look for "likability", "coachability" and "hunger for success". Here at U Akron, we are on the cutting edge of pioneering sales research and next level sales education utilizing AI, infrared technology, and biometrics/ physiological responses to sales stress. Skills are king... creating a new system for sales practice, AI feedback and repetition will be the game changer. Advancing skills to make a 21-year-old sales graduate to exhibit the skills and talent to appear ten years more experienced will be very attractive to hiring companies. This is happening at Akron next semester.
Ken Corbit Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in MarketingTexas Christian University
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: Strategic
Company Selection:
Focus on joining companies with robust sales training programs, emphasizing consultative selling. Look for organizations that invest in your development, providing live calling experiences, quota-driven sales processes, and exposure to tools like Salesforce.
Tech
Proficiency and Sales Tools Mastery:
Familiarize yourself with cutting-edge sales technologies, including CRM tools like Salesforce. Your proficiency in these tools will not only streamline your sales processes but also position you as a tech-savvy professional in the competitive sales landscape.
Hands-On
Experience:
Actively engage in live calling, take ownership of sales funnels, and work with senior hiring authorities during your training. This hands-on experience will not only build your confidence but also prepare you for the challenges of consultative selling.
Research
and Decision-Making Skills:
Develop strong research skills to evaluate companies based on fit, growth opportunities, compensation structures, and overall potential. This informed decision-making approach will set you apart and empower you to navigate the sales landscape strategically.
Mentorship
and Networking:
Seek mentorship both within and outside your organization. Building relationships with mentors who invest in your sales skills and knowledge will provide valuable insights. Additionally, actively participate in online forums to connect with practical sales
knowledge and best practices.
Frederik Beuk
Associate Professor of MarketingUniversity of Akron
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What Sales Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frederik Beuk: Digital Literacy and AI are obviously on everybody's mind. The benefit for early career professionals is that these are skills they can use to differentiate themselves from more established professionals. Embrace these tools. At the same time, being an authentic storyteller that helps buyers envision the potential of your solutions can be an extremely powerful skill.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Frederik Beuk: Digital Literacy and AI are obviously on everybody's mind. The benefit for early career professionals is that these are skills they can use to differentiate themselves from more established professionals. Embrace these tools. At the same time, being an authentic storyteller that helps buyers envision the potential of your solutions can be an extremely powerful skill.
What general advice would you give to a Sales Engineer?
Dr. Harvey Hoffman: Graduates need to be flexible and open to taking on new projects, exploring new industries, perhaps non-traditional areas where they see growth, while building and maintaining their networking relationships. Go where the demand is for the role you seek. I hate to use a cliche, but remember that your engineering career is a journey that may take you in many directions. Be open to change.
A professional in any field must continue to learn. Your engineering degree gave you the necessary tools. You must engage in lifelong learning to increase your knowledge and improve your skills and competencies to set yourself apart.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Madeleine Felion: - Increased wages and a focus on upskilling and reskilling are some of the biggest trends we're seeing, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerates the demand for certain skillsets.
- The ability to work from home - if the position allows, remote work and the flexibility it offers is here to stay.
- Safety is also top of mind for employers. Companies have made production schedule changes to accommodate social distancing, as well as implemented virtual processes for the application and onboarding phases, such as video and telephone interviews replacing in-person interviews.
What technical skills for a Sales Engineer stand out to employers?
Madeleine Felion: - In many hourly positions, math and measurement skills are increasingly sought after by companies - these skills can apply to several jobs from quality to CNC machining.
- Data entry and accuracy is a skill many nontraditional jobs are asking for as machines become more automated. Computer skills continue to stand out as it also applies to many in-demand roles.
- Other skills include experience working with ERP software systems such as SAP, Oracle and Syteline. Niche skills such as lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S and a variety of ISO quality standards are highly desired in most manufacturing companies.
How have salaries changed over time for Sales Engineers?
Madeleine Felion: - While we recruit in a wide range of positions, we are seeing hourly pay rates increase as the demand for a shrinking labor pool grows. Some career fields, where there is a significant skills gap, such as CNC machinists, industrial maintenance technicians and quality technicians, have seen significant salary growth as demand for these skills increases and the candidate pool remains stagnant.
- Salaried positions are also growing as the demand increases for experience in niche skills sets.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Engineers?
Chris Huseman Ph.D.: Certifications are being offered by a variety of organizations and entities. Job prospects need to critically evaluate the offering organizations of such and their reputations. Having several certifications myself and reviewing many that are offered, the Professional Certified Marketer certifications offered by the American Marketing Association are among the best investments a person in marketing can make. The PCM Digital Marketing, for example, is a rigorous certification that covers the digital marketing landscape extremely well. It is very affordable and is backed by one of the leading organizations in the field of marketing. In addition, specifically to the digital marketing field, Google Garage's Digital Marketing Certification is good and it's free along with several other free ones from Google. As well, Hubspot offers several wonderful certifications that are free and speak to the heart of skills required in the field of Digital Marketing.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.: As the economy "reopens" (thanks to appeased fears of contagion driven by vaccination, herd immunity, people worn out by the lockdowns, warmer weather, etc.), we should see workforce adjustments across industries and occupations. Already in March, unemployment was returning to 6% (from a high of 14.8% in April 2020, but after a low of 3.5 in February 2020; https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000). Barring unexpected resistance in the virus variants or other influences, the summer and fall months should give us better job market numbers, but this recovery seems to be benefitting some population segments more than others. The unemployed rate for teenagers was at 13%, followed by Blacks (9.6%), Hispanics (7.9%), Asians (6%), adult men (5.8%), and adult women (5.7%; more detail is available at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm).
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Sales Engineers?
Dr. LaRae Jome Ph.D.: Yes, while we might try to get back to "normal" or pre-pandemic times, there will likely be an enduring impact on psychology graduates.
For those psychology students who have been finishing their college degrees during this time, they may not have been able to participate fully in internship, volunteer, or research experiences with faculty. These out-of-classroom experiences can be useful in obtaining employment after college or in having a more competitive applications to graduate schools in psychology. On the positive side, many of the "soft skills" that psychology undergraduates learn in college will be very valued in the post-pandemic workplace. We are seeing an increased need for workers who have good critical thinking, listening, and empathy skills.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Madison Berry: Honestly, being willing to negotiate is going to become a bigger and bigger factor in earning potential. Do your research, know your worth, and stand up for what you think you should be paid. This is tricky right out of college, but with experience it becomes more and more powerful.
Of course, specialized certifications can also help - again, adding credentials relevant to your field will show initiative and focus. Adding tangential skills can also help make you a candidate for more specialized roles. We have employers come to us from the Finance industry looking for students who can code and analyze data; marketing is full of specialized roles for working with social media, consumer data, and technology integration. Finding your niche of interest and building skills through courses and personal projects can make you a more attractive candidate with more negotiating power.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Engineers?
Madison Berry: The bachelor's degree is still the gold standard for employment out of college, but a specific degree isn't as necessary as we might think. We have UVM alumni come visit us to talk about their storied careers in Finance, and they graduated with Political Science, Engineering, and Sociology degrees. Some industries are more rigid than others - having a Masters of Accountancy and passing your CPA is key for working in many accounting areas, for example - but when it comes to wanting to work in business, being able to show transferrable and useful skills is most important. Critical thinking, problem solving, willingness to learn, and communication skills are key.
Felicia Hodges
InstructorSUNY New Paltz
Deptment of Digital Media and Journalism
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
Felicia Hodges: Flexibility and willingness to adapt will help all media practitioners increase their earning potential. If you are a photojournalist who shoots still images for print and/or online publications, get familiar with video. If you are passionate about covering crime or government beats, have more than a working knowledge of sports and education, too. Heck, learn photojournalism basics! In other words, versatility is necessary and it will be expected.
What's a day at work look like for a Sales Engineer?
John Tobon: In the near term the work day will look a lot like online learning. Everything, starting with onboarding of employees has transitioned online. Newly hired employees may not meet their supervisors and co-workers in person for several months, if ever. There will be more real time online collaboration and greater need for proficiency in the use of communication software. Graduates may not necessarily live in the city where their employer is located, this will provide greater freedom to employees but it will also increase the level of competition for some positions. In the long term, workplace will look different. As a cost savings measure, companies will maximize the amount of offsite work that can be performed by implementing hybrid models that incorporate maximum telework arrangements.
What will help Sales Engineers increase their earning potential?
John Tobon: In the field of federal law enforcement the two growing needs are computer forensics and forensic accounting. Every law enforcement agency is in dire need of these skills, all criminal cases require forensic analysis of multiple devices such as phones, tablets, and computers. The demand for these skills far outweighs the current number of personnel available to perform the analysis. The complexity of the financial system has made tracing of ill-gotten gains a serious challenge even to the most experienced investigators. There is also greater emphasis on identifying the means and methods employed by criminal organizations and their co-conspirators to conceal illicit proceeds. The move to create greater transparency in beneficial ownership registries will create a flood of information that will require the unique skill set of forensic accountants to achieve success.
Dr. Ian Alam
Professor of MarketingState University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo
School Of Business
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Sales Engineers?
Dr. Ian Alam: Companies hire graduates based on the perception of business growth or future growth in customer acquisitions. Currently the perception is that pandemic will die down in the near future. Yet the reality is somewhat different. The COVID cases are going up everywhere in the country and abroad. Therefore, the recent uptick we saw in hiring will fade away very soon. As a result, I expect an enduring negative effect on the graduate employments prospects. However, if our current vaccination program leads to herd immunity, i.e. at least 70% of the population is vaccinated by the end of summer, then the economy will open up further. This will encourage the employers to start the hiring again.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Engineers?
Dr. Ian Alam: Micro credentials are an important tool that all graduates must have in this tough employment market. In all areas of business and economics education, some type of micro credentials are available. Some are free of charge and some have small fees. For example, in the field of marketing, two organizations offer free credentials for social media marketing to the students enrolled in a college. These are Hootsuite and Hubspot, which offer micro credentials for social media marketing. For others who are not students, a fee applies. Besides, there are several organizations that are offering credentials after the completion of short online courses in a variety of fields. I believe students must look at these micro credentials right after the college to make themselves more marketable.